Collapsible support device



July 1, 1958 v A. J. PAPPAS COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT DEVICE Filed April 23, 1954 @mzey United States.

2,841,352 Patented July 1, 1958 coLLArsreaE surroar navrcr.

Alexander 5, Pappas, Chicago, EL, 2"

Dorothy LeJnne, Chicago, in.

grior to This invention relates generally to devices for supporting objects thereon and more particularly relates to a supporting device having a plurality of standards retained in a pivotal assembly and capable of being collapsed and erected with a minimum of efiort and time.

Generally, the invention comprises a plurality of standards which are extended through a ring member having a spider mounted therein, there being a standard pivotally secured on each leg of said spider. The invention is capable of a great variety of usages, such as for supporting cameras, surveying or navigational instruments or supporting platforms on which an object may or may not be mounted. Although not specifically limited thereto, it is contemplated that the support device is adaptablealso for collapsible table constructions such as small occasional type tables, namely, television and snack tables and end tables which have become increasingly popular in recent years. The multiple standard support device embodying the invention is characterized by its portability, lightweight but sturdy construction, economy of manufacture, and collapsibility enabling same to be packaged and shipped in knock down condition, and the ease and rapidity with which same may be assembled and erected.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a collapsible support device of the character described which is comprised ofa plurality of standards pivotally assembled in a ring member, said ring member having a spider with a standard mounted on each leg of the'spider and extended through the ring member, the standards being pivotal to enable spacing'the respective ends thereof from one another for erecting said device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collaps ible support device of the character described in which said ring member has the spider removably mounted therein, and in which said ring member has a pair of removable abutment members for retaining the spider in the ring member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the standards are movable between a first position in which their axes are parallel to the axis of thering member to a second position in which their axes are oblique to the axis of the ring member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support device of the character described in which said standards are each pivotally supported at a point other than'half way between the ends thereof and said standards have cooperating means for removably supporting a platform on the upper ends thereof;

Another object of the invention is'to provide a device of the character described in which said standards are each pivotally supported with the standards extended througlr the ring member, said standards each having the greatest weight thereof below said ring member such that-when the device is held-by the ring member above a floor,- thestandards automatically will pivot. to the position with the axes of the standards parallel to one another.

Other objects of the invention reside in the ease and facility with which the support device may be assembled or collapsed, in which the various parts thereof are made from inexpensive, readily available materials; in which the ring member may be manufactured without complicated and expensive equipment being required; and which support construction is attractive, yet inexpensive.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, itb'eging understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of this invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, this invention, its mode of con- I struction, assembly and operation, and many of its ad vantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing inwhich the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawins:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible support device embodying the invention, same being: shown erect ed in solid lines and collapsed in phantom outline.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the. support device along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 andzin-the direction indicated.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through} the ring member of the support device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spider employed for supporting the standards in the ring member.

The collapsible support device.embodyingtheinvention has been shown as a tripod device in the drawings for purposes of illustrating an embodiment of the invention as required by the patent'laws. However, it: should be understood that the said support device neednot be limited to a structure having only three legs. since by enlarging and modifying certain. parts of the device, same may be constructed with more than three legs. Likewise, although the device has been shown supporting a platform, it will be apparent that samev may also be employed for supporting other objects without. departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character it) designates generally the collapsible supportv device embodying the invention; Same includes a plurality of standards 12, 14 and 16- of identical construction and preferably formed from elongate'rigid stock of-wood or metal. One end of each standard is provided with a spherical knob ld'for ornamental purposes onto-prevent the device from marring a fioor or carpetingrupon-which sam may be erected. Of course, instead of the: knobs 18, a ferrule of other extension may be providedandif desired to erect the device outdoors, a' pointed tip may be employed instead. Theopposite end-of; each standard is ofiset as at 29 providing a bend 22 and a ledge or shelf portion 24. Gn the free end 26 there may be mounted an ornamental knob 23. Each standard; 12, t4 and i6 is providedwith a. transversepassageway 3%) therethrough, the passageway 36 being; located more than half way intermediate the, extremitiesgof saidistandface 40'thereof. Thegrooves 36 and 38 are spaced apart defining an;' annular surface 42 therebetween. Into each groove is removably mounted 'a split ring member 44, the

' dimensions'of the ring member 44 and'grooves being such as topermit the ring member 44 to rotate in a said groove and have a portion of a ring member 44 protruding outwardly of the groove to provide abutment portions on each side of the annular surface 42.

, Assembled in said ring member 34 .between' thesplit ring members 44 is a spider 50,.shown in perspective in Fig.' 4. a The spider has been shown as substantially Y- shaped and having three straight leg portions 52, 54 and 56. 'The spider is a simple stamping from metal with the legs bein'g' shown as rectangular in cross-section although same may also be circular, it being intended that the widthor diameter of the legs as the case may be each be less than the diameter of-the passageway 30 in each of the standards.

'When the support device 10 is assembled, each of the legs 52, 54 and 56 pivotally supports a standard thereon, with saidstandards extended through the ring member 34. Thus, the standard 12 has the leg SZ'engaged through the passageway 30 of said standard 'and likewise with the standards 14 and 16 and the legs 54 and 56 respectively. It will be noted that the free end 58 ofeach leg of the spider is slidably engaged against the annular surface 42 between the split rings 44, 44. The split ring .members 44, 44 therefore coact as removable abutment members retaining the spider 50 in position in the ring member 34.

It is desired to point out that although the spider i) 7 has been shown as having three legs, same is not necessarily limited to such a construction. Merely by enlarging the ring, the spider may be formed with more than three legs so that an equivalent number of standards may be employed. For example, the spider may be formed with four' legs, the spider having a substantially X-shape and four standards may be likewise employed.

Assemblyof the device is simple and rapidly accomplished by reason of its structure. A split ring 44 is first installed in either of the grooves 36 and 38 merely by compressing the ring 44 and passing same through the ring 34 into a said groove. The standardsilZ, 14 and 16 are then mounted on the legsof the spider 50 and the standards extended longitudinally through the ring 34 and split ring 44 to dispose the spider50 adjacent the ring 44 installed in a said groove. The second split ring 44 is then passed over the standards and engaged in the second groove disposing the spider 50 between said rings 44, 44.

To erect the support device 10, the assembly is held by the ring 34 about the surfacetobe erected upon.

' Since each standard is .pivotally supported above the midpoint'between theextrenn'ties thereof, the greatest weight of each standard will be below the ring member 34 and all the standards will pivot freely so that'their' axes will be parallel on to the other and to the axis of the ring member 34. This is shown in phantom outline in Fig. 1. The standards are then pivoted outwardly of the ring member 34 to arrange them with their axes oblique to the axis ofthe ring member a 34. This position of the standards isshown in solid lines in Fig. 1 and the standards are prevented from further outward pivoting by their engagement'with the upper edge 60 and lower-edge -62 of said ring 34. The device is then erected on the floor with the standards in this second position. I

"--With the device erected, it will be-seen that the offset and the spider is a simple stamping. The low manufacturing costs and costs of materials is reflected favor 4 portions 2 0 of said standardsface inwardly; The shelves or ledges 24 also'extend inwardly and provide means for supporting an object thereon. Such an object has been shown by way of illustration in broken lines as a platform 64 comprising 'a plate which may be maderof glass;

metal, plastic or the like and of any suitable configuration;

Same is, shown as circular in Fig. l, with its spherical edge engaged against the portionof the standard between its free end 26' and the shelf 24 and supported on the said shelf. The size of the platform 64 maybe such as to be wedged between the standards when supported on said shelves 24. Of course the device may be formed without the offset portions on the standards. In any case, the object to be supported on the upper ends 26 of standards may be either on a platform or directly on'the standards.

It will be seen that the device 10 is readily collapsed merely by removing the platform 64 from between the standardsand lifting the device by the ring 34. The standards will automatically pivot inwardly toward one another to their first mentioned phsition. The device may be packaged and shipped in this condition, with the standards already assembled in the ring member 34. Where, for instance, the device is employed as a table construction requiring a platform such as 64, the platform may be wrapped separately or in the same package with the standards. The packages will be compact and small, thereby reducing substantially costs of shipping same. Also, various platforms may be included with the assembly for varying the appearance of the device by the purchaser and since the platform is removable, the same device may be used for other purposes as well.

The various parts of the .device may be made from readily available materials, and simple equipment is required to form said parts. Popular wrought iron rod may be employed for the standards where the device is desired to be used as a ta'ble construction. The oifset portions 20 of the standards if desired, are easily formed with a simple bending operation. The ring 34 can be easily and rapidly grooved without undue accuracy to increase the cost of manufacturing. The split rings 44 i may be cut from inexpensive tubular stock and severed It is believed that the invention has been described in V suficient detail enabling same to "be understood and practiced by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. portion and arrangement of the various parts of the device-are contemplated without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is desired to be secured by United States is:

1. A collapsible support device comprising at least three standards, a transverse there through eachof said standards intermediate the ends thereof, a spider having at least three legs, at least onerof said legs extended rotatably through the bore in each of said standards and'having an end portion extended beyond the outer periphery of each of said standards, a ring surrounding said stand- Letters Patent of the ards and said end portions and axially spaced grooves in 'saidring on opposite sides of said end portions, removable abutments in said grooves having an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of saidspider whereby the ring, spider and standards are separably. connected.

2. A device as described in claim ,1 in which each Minor variations in size, construction, pro- 7 1 l in which each I ing a laterally extending ledge and there is a platform seated on said ledges with the peripheral edges of the platform frictionally engaged with said standards.

5. A collapsible support device comprising at least three standards each having a transverse bore therethrough intermediate the ends thereof, a spider having at least three legs, at least one of said legs extended through the bore in each of said standards and having an end portion protruding beyond the outer periphery of each of said standards, said standards being pivotally mounted on said legs, a ring surrounding said standards and said end portions, abutment means carried by said ring on opposite sides of said end portions to prevent axial displacement of the spider relative the ring comprising, at least one groove in said ring on one side of the end portions and "a removable abutment member seated in the groove having an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said spider whereby the ring, spider and standards are separably connected.

6. A device as described in claim 5 in Which said abutment member comprises a split ring.

7. A device as described in claim 6 in Which said abutment means include a second groove in said ring on the opposite side of said end portions and a second abutment member seated in said second groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 366,833 Hipwell July 19, 1887 509,005 Voeltzkow Nov. 21, 1893 583,013 Ebert May 18, 1897 1,109,556 Sutclitfe Sept. 1, 1914 1,147,975 Rufi July 27, 1915 1,338,124 Dale Apr. 27, 1920 

